HANDLING LETTUCE AND CELERY. 



9 



indicate, i. e., a total decay of 5.1 per cent in the precooled carefully 



cut lot, as against 44.5 per cent in the nonprecooled commercially 



cut lettuce. As the latter is the common method of cutting and 



shipping lettuce, it is obvious that careful cutting and precooling 



eliminate a very large part of the decay that usually develops in 



transit. 



Table II. — Average percentages of decay in nine experimental lots of carefully cut and com- 

 mercially cut lettuce shipped to northern markets during the season of 1913-1 A- 1 





At withdrawal. 



Three days after 

 withdrawal. 



Treatment. 



Carefully 

 cut. 



Commer- 

 cially cut. 



Carefully 

 cut. 



Commer- 

 cially cut. 



Nonprecooled: 



neads.showing slight drop rot per cent. . 



Heads showing medium drop rot do 



Heads showing complete drop rot do 



7-9 

 .9 

 



24.2 

 16.9 

 3.4 



11.7 



3.3 



.3 



30.3 

 19.6 

 5.9 





S.S 



44.5 



15.3 



55.8 



PrecoOled: 



Heads showing slight drop rot do 



Heads showing medium, drop rot do 



Heads showing complete drop rot do. . . * 



4.7 

 .4 

 '0 



20.6 



6.3 



.3 



8.5 

 1.4 

 



26.8 

 8.3 

 1.6 



Total drop rot do 



5.1 



27.2 



9.9 



36.7 



1 No record of bacterial decay was obtained in these lots. 



In addition to the factors recorded above, the difference in appear- 

 ance of the various lots was a point of great importance in determining 

 their market value. 

 Figure 7 shows the 

 general appearance of 

 the different lots at 

 the first inspection. 

 In almost every case 

 the carefully cut lots 

 were far more attrac- 

 tive, not only because 

 less decayed' but also 

 because the heads 

 were cleaner owing to 

 the removal of the 

 dirty lower leaves. 

 The lettuce in the 

 precooled hampers 

 was also in much 

 better condition than 

 that in the nonpre- 

 cooled hampers. Less shriveling, crisper, brighter leaves, and a 

 general freshness of appearance, aside from any question of decay, 

 10911°— 17— Bull. 601—2 



^j4CD; 











Jpscom 



fjf'3%1 



k 'H 



frir%k 





ML*?- M r "^ I &: ' 





m* v "J 



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w-" 4 * X * '' 



Fig. 7.— Appearance at the first inspection of lettuce handled in the 

 following ways: Top hampers, marked "14," precooled; lower two, 

 marked "13," not precooled; the hampers on the left, marked 

 "CD," were commercially handled and the two on the right, 

 marked "AB," were carefully cut. 



